Elite Event: Yelpers Living The High Life

A fine location, sunny evening, posh frocks and prosecco on arrival what more could you want? With these items making up the first 5 minutes of this event I knew it was going to be a bit special!
After having having my jacket taken by one of the super helpful staff assigned to our party i was given a glass of prosecco and ventured out on to the terrace to soak up the sun and survey the location. Considering we were right near the city centre it was very calm and pleasingly quiet. The terrace is the largest in Manchester/​Salford and although wasn’t in full sun was still great.
After the prosecco i was treated to a passion fruit margarita which was fab and something i will try again. A sign of a great venue they didn’t forget us peeps on the terrace when it came to the canapés, and several trays of delightful little treats came our way.
Nibbles done it was on to the main event– dinner in the private dining room paired with specially selected wines. The room was perfect and would be fab for a special event as it was cozy (we weren’t party of 24) but not cramped.
Starter was asparagus with a lovely soft poached egg and hollandaise sauce — 3 of my favourite things in one dish heaven!
Quick espresso shot of gazpacho to cleanse the palette and it was on to the guinea fowl with seasonal veg and masala sauce — not normally a fan of game but this was light, moist and tasty.
I was getting pretty fully by now (thank goodness for fit and flare dresses!) but it was dessert time and i love a bit of dessert so I just had to have a try even if it was only a small bit. That didn’t happen and i polished off all of the strawberry vacherin, tiny flowers, jelly cubes and the meringue!
I did pass on the petit fours which were styled like mini cheeseburgers very cute!
A very big thank you to everyone at the Lowry for looking after us so well and of course Jonny for organising a fabulous event.

Best Unilocal event yet!
I have been to several Unilocal elite events over the past few months and have to say that they have all been excellent… then I came to this one and a new standard has been reached!
Unfortunately, I was late for the event and missed the pre dinner drinks of prosecco and a tequila based cocktail, but I was quickly made aware of how great they were by the Unilocalers present. Being a tequila lover I was particularly disappointed in missing out on these fun and games.
The meal. The host, Hussain introduced very course and explained the paired wines. He was an excellent compare who made time to come round and have a word with each individual about what we thought of each course.
The starter was asparagus, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. I love all of these anyway, so it was like they had read my mind when putting this meal together! it was delicious.
Again, the amuse-​bouche was exactly my idea of great food. I love gazpacho soup, and could have quite happily had a bowl of the espresso sized course.
The main was an extremely tender guinea fowl in a masala sauce. This didn’t last long and lived up to the standards of the rest of the meal.
Dessert, a nice little surprise for all the Unilocalers! A raspberry dessert with a cream filled log with was emblazoned with the Unilocal logo across it.
Finally, the coffee, petit four and a wine quiz! If only I had been listening to Hussain explaining about the wines, rather than tasting them…
great evening and fantastic meal

What can you say when you’re treated to a prosecco reception, cocktails, numerous courses, matched wines and some Unilocal goodies? It just has to be another 5 star event!
From the moment I was greeted — love the door staff at The Lowry, their service is just immaculate — to when I left with a cheery farewell from all the staff, this was the perfect Monday night.
Opening cocktails were tasty, if a bit hard to handle with a spoon, and the canapes were the perfect thing to keep us chatting and avoid getting restless. I enjoyed the duck cube, though the orange topping was a bit too tart for my taste, but the meatballs and sausage were both moreish.
Can one say much more about the food that hasn’t already been covered? Well, as I had to request no eggs (sorry Jonny!) I actually had a different starter and dessert to everyone else. My starter of melon, tomato and cheese was actually very refreshing, though not something I would usually order, and obviously the wine wasn’t designed to match as well as with the ‘official’ choice.
The main was delicious, and the marsala sauce went so well with the guinea fowl you wonder why anyone ever serves it another way. The grilled gem lettuce was an interesting touch, but good to have some greenery on the place and, as ever, trying something different.
My chocolate mousse dessert was simply divine; topped with a white chocolate flower and caramel truffle, it looked and tasted equally beautiful.
Counting down the days to the next event and another night which shows just how strong a community we are here on Unilocal

From the minute I walked into the lobby of the lavish Lowry Hotel I was pretty much smitten, despite feeling a little out of place. The friendly concierge made sure I knew exactly where to go to find the rest of the Unilocal bunch (in the library room) and once upstairs, I couldn’t help gawping, wide-​eyed at the sleek, sophisticated surroundings.
Introductions to fellow Unilocalers and Helen, The Lowry’s PR lady, plus bags of banter on the terrace (Manchester’s largest terrace, dontcha know) were fuelled by Prosecco and cocktails, which probably went down a bit too well (the day after was a write-​off for me).
When a tray of canapes made its way over, I opted for tangy Spanish-​style sausage and sundried cherry tomato on a skewer, which was absolutely delicious.
After some background info about the hotel from Helen, we headed to the private dining room, where we were greeted by more friendly waiting staff and an array of Unilocal goodies on the table, including pairs of snazzy red wayfarers for everyone! Yay!
The first course, a poached egg (my first ever), smothered in hollandaise sauce on a bed of asparagus, was a real pleasure for the tastebuds. The texture of everything was perfect and it’s definitely a dish I will be trying to replicate at home — unsuccessfully, no doubt (I’m a great cook but eggs are not my forte).
Next up was a cup of refreshing gazpacho, served with a crumbly cheddar biscuit. I thought this was a great way to cleanse the palate in preparation for the main course; guinea fowl (another first for me) with girolles, roasted baby gem, risotto and marsala cream sauce. This was truly amazing. Rich flavours, beautiful textures and juicy, cooked-​to-​perfection meat. I wasn’t sure if I’d be a fan of guinea fowl but I can honestly say I would order that again in a heartbeat. It was absolutely SUPERB.
And the dessert? Wow. Just wow. This was seriously impressive! How on earth did they get the Unilocal branding printed onto meringue? The strawberry vacherin was a work of art, presented with tiny flowers, swirls of cream, coulis and elegantly placed pieces of strawberry and jelly cubes. I’m salivating as I write this. Can we do it again? Pleeeeeaaase?
Anyway, to give our tastebuds one final hit of Lowry lovliness, the waiting staff brought out petit fours, which resembled little cheeseburgers, classy ones though. These were really tasty and a great way to top off a fabulous evening of fine dining.
The wine paired with each course wasn’t what I’d usually go for but they perfectly complemented the food and I polished off each glass, which is always a good sign. My favourite of the bunch was ‘The Crossings’ Marlborough Pinot Noir — an aromatic red which really enhanced the flavour of the guinea fowl.
I enjoyed the event from start to finish: great food, nice people, excellent service and stunning surroundings. So, that all important question — will I be returning to The Lowry any time soon? The answer is of course, HELL YES. Next time the sun is shining and I’m happy to don my gladrags again, I will definitely return to the terrace of the Riverside bar for a cocktail and a bite to eat *prays for sunshine*.
Massive thanks to Johnny Q and the rest of the Manchester Unilocalers, who made my first elite experience so welcoming and memorable. Big shout out to all The Lowry staff too — and see you soon!

This was such a wonderful night. All the staff at the Lowry Hotel gave us a very warm welcome and the delicious prosecco and DELICIOUS passionfruit margarita were a great start to the evening. Like many others, I greatly enjoyed the Duck Cube, also the Moroccan meatballs (these were on sticks and there was an unfortunate moment when I tried to claim I had eaten a very restrained numbers of hors d’ouevres but then realised I was holding multiple sticks in my hand… fail).
The private dining room seats twenty four very comfortably and is a light and pleasant space. Service was perfect and the introduction to each of the wines was very informative & interesting (for example, go for French rather than New World chardonnays. Also, did you know that the chardonnay at some point interacted with stainless steel for some reason to do with the mineral content. See! I was listening. If not totally understanding. You learn so much at Unilocal!).
The food was quite simple and traditional, I would describe it more as «hotel food» rather than «restaurant food» if that makes any sense — it’s the kind of food suitable for larger parties. I particularly loved the Unilocal imprinted meringue!
Liked it so much I’m planning to go back on friday for after work drinks on the longest terrace in Manchester. Gotta love that river view.

This month’s fine dining got off to a cracking start with the elite event at the Lowry hotel in Salford (officially, although the bridge at the back of Spinningfields makes it seconds away from the City Centre). We were welcomed with grape and passionfruit martinis as well as prosecco with wonderful canapes. I tried the spicy sausage with cherry tomatoes and the mackerel tart. The latter was my favourite with a lovely smooth filling and crisp tart case.
We were greeted by Helen (the Lowry PR lady) and Jonny (Manchester Unilocal boss extraordinaire) with a welcome to the venue and a quick explanation of what to expect.
After this we were ushered into the private dining room, which seats 24 for that special occasion, and then the food followed.
The first course was asparagus, poached egg and hollandaise served with a glass of crisp Chardonnay. Hussain (sommelier at the Lowry) explained that this has been chosen to cut through the richness of the egg and slight acidity of the hollandaise.
Next up was gazpacho with a melt in the mouth cheese biscuit. The soup itself was smoky and rich with cucumber and pepper, yummy.
I was nervous about our main of guinea fowl, girottes and baby gem in a marsala cream. I am not a fan of funghi of any kind but a friend kindly removed these and the dish was exquisite. This was served with a pinor noir to compliment the flavours in the sauce.
Our dessert was a thing of beauty. Strawberries in a frozen cream wrapped in a Unilocal branded meringue with strawberry jelly and chocolate straws. It was delicious but I would have liked the cream to be cream and not frozen really. The wine with this dish was beautiful, a reasonably priced muscat from Tabali. The raisin flavours enhanced the dessert immensely.
Petit Fours and coffee/​tea followed with a quiz on our wine and Lowry hotel knowledge. The 3 way tie forced a tie breaker and Hannah to win a meal for 2 at the hotel! Well done Hannah and huge thanks to Jonny for organising. It was so nice to meet new Elites as well as up and coming Unilocalers, bring on the next one.

Yet another amazing Unilocal Elite Event, this time it was held at the 5 star Lowry hotel and involved 5 courses of fine dining and matched wines. We met in the impressive hotel library for a pre dinner drink, the grape martini cocktail was fabulous. The library also backs onto the largest roof terrace in Manchester and has views across the Irwell so it was a tremendous setting for a sunny day.
After a catch up we were taken into the private dining room to begin our well thought out meal. Hussein was on hand to talk us through the wines that complimented each course and was extremely knowledgeable. The asparagus and poached egg starter was cooked to perfection and left us excited for the next course. The gazpacho had very subtle flavours and was a great palette cleanser before our main course. As a vegetarian I had the mushroom risotto for main. It was so creamy and the texture was excellent. I liked the way they used a variety of mushrooms to add flavour.
Next came the Unilocal themed dessert which proved that the Lowry pays real attention to detail. The whole meal was topped off by coffee and cheese themed petit fours.
The private dining room at the Lowry would be perfect for a special occasion and you would certainly be spoilt by the wonderful service.
Thank you to Jonny for organising such a wonderful experience for us all. Every other Monday will feel very dull and boring now.

There’s not many things that make me don smart attire (well, a jacket and non-​check shirt) — weddings, christenings, job interviews and now I have to add Unilocal Elite events to that short list!
In the short time I’ve been attending Unilocal events I’ve been treated to a variety of interesting and entertaining activities, from having my eyes opened to the world of sake, to making curries and live art demonstrations. Jonny Q added a new experience to the list by organising a high class evening in the surroundings of one of Manchester’s smartest hotels, The Lowry Hotel.
We were welcomed in with a nice glass of Prosecco and some delicious looking cocktails, meeting up with fellow Unilocalers (not that it’s some secret society or cult) and allowed to enjoy the rare Mancunian summer sun with a selection of pretty, tasty canapes on the largest balcony in Manchester, as proudly proclaimed by our host and Hotel Manager Helen (it’s strictly speaking in Salford, but I’ll let that slide) before being escorted by the friendly, formal staff into a private dining room which was airy and light.
This was a night of fine dining and wine matching, the man to take us on this culinary tour was Huseyin, possibly the suavest guy in Salford, all steely hair, charm and wit — he talked us through each dish and the wines to accompany them, explaining what elements allowed them to work and suggesting where we might be able to buy bottles ourselves, which is always useful.
I wouldn’t say I’m a picky eater, but there are certain things I’m not a fan of, however when i do go to finer eating establishments I trust that the chefs making these dishes are putting the ingredients on the plate for a reason, so I’ll give most things a go.
The starter of asparagus (bang in season) with poached egg and hollandaise sauce is a classic, but I’ve never had it before because I’d decided I wasn’t a big fan of asparagus — that’s all changed now as I really enjoyed this dish — I’m pretty annoyed with myself for missing out all this time. The crisp white to accompany worked well, but I can’t claim to be a connoisseur — I’m more of a red wine guy.
The Gazpacho that followed was surprising in it’s depth, the dainty cup it served in belied the bold flavouring — I couldn’t tell you what stood out, it felt meaty but with the saltiness of a sundried tomato, whatever it was it was ace, and the crumbly, extremely cheesy biscuit on the side was great too — I nearly went for the dunk into the soup but a fellow diner fell foul of it, so I’m glad I refrained.
For the main of Guinea Fowl I had to be a brave boy again and eat mushrooms, I usually loath the things, slippery and bouncy on the tooth (and smelly when fried), but am I glad I tried them in this dish. If all girolles taste as good as this I’ll be eating them a lot more regularly. I’m sure the creamy marsala sauce with risotto and perfectly cooked (larger than expected) guinea fowl helped carry the mushroom flavour. The Crossings Marlborough Pinot Noir which accompanied was delicious, very drinkable and not too heavy or oaky.
By this time I was full, so the (huge!) dessert that arrived with Unilocal branding on was never going to be finished, I just don’t have the appetite. It was a pleasant enough ice cream and meringue affair, but probably not representative of The Lowry Hotel’s normal fare, not that it would put me off if it did — I’ll likely go for a cheeseboard when I return with my wife.
After all this our night still wasn’t over, Jonny & the staff at The Lowry Hotel had pulled out all the stops and organised a short quiz for us to chew over along with petit fours and coffee, with the winner receiving a meal for 2 — clearly my brain was fuddled after the combination of rich food, good wine and great company because I did pretty poorly. No matter because it’s the taking part that matters right?!
Big big thanks to Jonny Q, all the staff at The Lowry Hotel and the Unilocal community for making a Monday night the best night of the week!

There are few better ways, in my opinion, than putting on your gladrags and enjoying a night of fine food and wine in good company and so this was an event I’d really been looking forward to as soon as it was announced and boy did it not disappoint.
Upon arriving we were ushered into the stylish library bar area that led onto what I now know is the largest terrace in Greater Manchester. This was the perfect place to enjoy the fabulous cocktails (passion fruit margarita being my favourite) and delicious canapés (pressed duck and marmalade –wow) we were offered. Jonny Q, our ever affable Unilocal host, had clearly been working his magic as the sun had even showed up, which for Manchester in June is quite a miracle!
After a couple of cocktails and time spent catching up with both old and new Elite Unilocalers, we were officially welcomed by Helen of the Lowry and Jonny Q, before being guided through to the separate private dining room at the rear of the restaurant. It was here that the magic really happened and where we were treated to a truly excellent 3 course meal with matching wines (plus fresh warm bread rolls, small soup course and petit fours). Other reviews have gone into detail on the dishes so I won’t repeat myself but everything was delicious, with the classic simplicity of the asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise matched with a beautifully crisp Bourgogne Chardonnay winning out for me.
From the warm welcome at the entrance of the 5* Lowry Hotel to the seamless service of the waiting staff and of course not forgetting the truly excellent job Hussein, our host for the evening, did at making us feel relaxed and at ease at what could potentially have been quite formal and stuffy, the staff at the Lowry really are skilled in what they do. The word ‘slick’ was mentioned by several people and it really was, but in the nicest possible way.
This was another brilliant Elite event and Jonny, alongside the team at the Lowry, really pulled off a cracker of a night. I look forward to more!

Regularly walking past the Lowry under the striking white bridge, I never feel posh enough to venture inside. Glimpses through to the lobby, paired with seeing my reflection in the amazing mirrored panel exterior, confirm that I would stick out like a girl from Northwich in a posh place always does. To be invited into such a venue was an absolute honour.
The Lowry sits on the River Irwell — road access to the front entrance from Chapel Street isn’t half as impressive as arriving by foot. Our feet unfamiliarly positioned in heeled shoes, myself and Jess D elegantly glided (…naturally) along the river-​side path to the back entrance. We looked up to see Unilocalers dotted along the terrace in the evening sun.
The ambience inside the Lowry is exactly how I’d imagined. Immaculately clean marble surfaces, airy, modern with very smartly dressed staff on hand at every corner. We were directed up to the Library room where the rest of the Unilocal squad sipped cocktails and effortlessly blended into the elegant surroundings. You all looked lovely.
Greeted by a very dapper looking Jonny Q, we added the last accessory, our name badges, and mingled.
Venturing out on to the longest terrace in Manchester, I got talking to Helen, head of marketing for the Lowry. She spoke about her social media push, her role within the hotel and the history of the surrounding buildings. It was great to chat with someone so knowledgeable about a place I knew relatively little about.
The amazingly attentive staff would pass by and offer cocktails or refills. I’ll admit that I absolutely love Prosecco. The Corte Alta Prosecco from Italy was perfect for a summers night. The fine bubbles and fruity flavours complemented the range of tasty canapés that would waft past every now and again. My favourite was the spicy sausage and sun blush tomato. After collecting 4 or 5 cocktail sticks I thought it wise to save some stomach space for the feast that lay ahead.
Helen and Jonny introduced the night in fine Unilocal fashion before we filed through to the private dining room. Finding my name card, I sat next to the lovely Hannah and Amir. Our end of the huge, beautifully dressed table led out on to the terrace. The open door meant we got the last of the evening sun.
Gosh, this is a long post and I haven’t even got to the meal yet… if you’re still there, stay with me.
Huseyin, the sommelier, introduced the first wine — Bourgogne Chardonnay 2012 Nicolas Potel. His enthusiasm was brilliant. There was none of the usual poncy wine bumph — just easy to follow, useful information about why he had chosen the wine to accompany the first course; Asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise.
This was my favourite course. It was so simple but every element was, unsurprisingly, done to perfection. Everything was hot. The asparagus was amazingly tasty, the egg still runny, the sauce perfectly balanced and the freshly baked bread was an ideal mop. Yes, I mopped.
Next up was the Gazpacho; a light, refreshing, smoky-​yet-​sweet palate cleanser served with a posh, melt in your mouth mini cheddar. Lovely!
The main of Guinea fowl with girolles, baby gem and marsala sauce was beautiful. The Crossings Pinot Noir from New Zealand, paired and described wonderfully by Huseyin, had hints of ripe berries and enhanced the rich, earthy flavours of the plate. The best part of this dish was the tiny piles of mushroom and truffle risotto — so tasty!
Before pudding arrived we sampled the dessert wine; a Chilean late harvest Muscat called Tabali. I’m not usually a fan of dessert wines, but this one was something else! Although it was sweet, it was also fruity and uplifting. The Strawberry Vacherin came wrapped in an ingenious Unilocal-​branded edible blanket with flowers, a chocolate stick, berry jellies and strawberry pieces — what a show!
In between mouthfuls we took part in the wine quiz. I had no hope. My limited knowledge of wines (I thought) had already rendered me out of the running. Guessing my way through, I ended up in a tie break situation. The first question being about Holy Communion wine and my answer being ‘Lambrini’ should hopefully give you an idea of how utterly convinced I was that this was not going to be my night… moments later I was being patted on the shoulder by Huseyin!
It turns out they do serve Lambrini at Sunday mass…
(They don’t. It all came down to a lucky guess of 3000BC) I feel awkward to have won having bumbled my way through but I’m full of thanks for such a brilliant prize.
The evening drew to a close with coffee and petit fours. I can’t remember the last time I forgot what time it was — the evening went far too quickly.
You know the old saying, ‘Time flies when you’re surrounded by brilliant people, eating wonderful food and drinking top notch wine in a 5 star hotel you’d only ever glanced into.‘
Thanks to Jonny, fellow Unilocalers and everyone at the Lowry for making my week!

I was invited to the Lowry Elite Event on Monday the 16^th of June 2014. This was my first ever Unilocal Event.
I was greeted by a lovely man on front desk who showed me the way to the Library room where Jenny and Jonny Q were. The Library room was absolutely beautiful.
I was made really welcome by the team at the Lowry and was handed a nice Peroni beer or i could have had a glass of chilled Cava to enjoy on this perfect summery evening, there was a huge balcony terrace overlooking the whole of the Lowry and the beautiful bridge.
More people was arriving and was i introduced to everyone, there was new Unilocalers including myself and Unilocalers who have been doing it for a bit, but was made welcome by everyone.
Every member of staff at the Lowry was amazing and their level of service was impeccable.
Cocktails was served with beautiful canapés as well as glasses of Cava it was very nice. whilst admiring the amazing views on the terrace and getting to know the other Unilocalers.
Helen– the Events Manager from the Lowry did a wonderful job in getting to know everyone and having a chat with her about the wonderful events they have held here in the past, and the truly awesomeness of Jonny Q told us about the evening and what to expect.
We was then taken to the dining room which was the piece de resistance, a beautiful private dining room with a huge table and its own terrace, it was stunning! The table was set out with each Unilocaler having there own little gifts and names on cards, Huseyin and his team look after us all evening. Their style and service was spot on and a very well done to them.
Each course was served with paired wine, each with its own story to tell, The Starter was Asparagus with Poached Egg served with Chardonnay which was both devine!!!
This was followed by Gazpacho which was lovely if a little sweet but still really nice.
The Main course was Guinea Fowl which was perfecto, served with a beautiful Red, Each wine was explained why it was served with each course.
The whole table was buzzing and the whole evening was incredible, It was my first Unilocal event and I was welcomed by everyone, I had a truly amazing evening!
Thank you to Jonny Q, the other Unilocalers and the team at the Lowry for putting on such a fantastic Unilocal Elite Event!

There’s already been many, many eloquent words describing just how fantastic this event was and I couldn’t possibly add any more to the tsunami of delight and amazement shared with my fellow Unilocalers describing the courses in these reviews.
Some personal highlights then? The welcome drinks on the sun terrace (who knew Salford really had the über swank factor?!). Those duck-​cube-​canapé things — amazing. Asparagus topped with eggy perfection and smothered in hollandaise. Guinea fowl? More like ‘guinea fab’, I could have eaten four of them. And the wines, pretty much all of them paired wonderfully well.
One final non-​food highlight was the terrific atmosphere throughout the whole night, with new faces mingling with those of us who’d been Unilocaling for a few months now. After every event the ‘community’ is getting bigger and better.
An evening of innumerable adjectives and superlatives — simply one of the best Elite events yet. Whole-​hearted thanks to JQ and all the team at The Lowry for making us feel so welcome.